Coming from a completely non-legal background, Hollie Nixon was unsure of the best way to start her career as a Legal Secretary. Upon hearing about ILSPA through a fellow student on her Open University degree, she decided to take the plunge and enrol for our Diploma. Now, less than a year later, Hollie has secured her first Legal Secretary position. We caught up with her to find out why she believes her Diploma was so important during her job search, and what advice she would give to other people looking to start working in the profession.
How did you hear about ILSPA?
I heard about ILSPA when I first started my law degree with the Open University. I was talking with some of the other students and one mentioned that she was doing her Legal Secretary course with ILSPA. It had helped her secure a job and was a way to “get a foot in the door” before finishing uni. I thought this was a brilliant idea, as getting experience in a legal profession before the end of my degree would help me get a deeper understanding of working for a solicitor. So I took the first step and went for it.
How did you find your studies with ILSPA?
I found studying with ILSPA was simple and rewarding, as all of the information you could ever need was already prepared. This course is rewarding because it sets you up with the skills you need to be successful, and it helps knowing you can contact the tutors if you need clarification on any part of the Diploma.
What was your professional background before studying to become a Legal Secretary?
My professional background did not consist of much. I worked in Costa Coffee full time straight after college until I figured out what I really wanted to do. A year ago I just happened to fall into property management when I became an assistant to two property managers. They taught me the basics of working in an office, but ultimately this was not what I wanted to do for the rest of my career. But working for Freemont gave me the confidence to start my law degree. I then found ILSPA.
What steps did you take to secure legal secretarial employment after completing your ILSPA qualification?
Before I finished my ILSPA Diploma, I started applying for jobs to see if anyone would be interested in offering me an interview. I attended an interview within a week or so but was unlucky that time. My second interview, on the other hand, was successful. The solicitors I will be working for have taken me on with the prospect of training me up to make the most out of my career.
Do you think that your Legal Secretaries Diploma helped you when you were looking for a role?
I think having my ILSPA Diploma helped me to secure employment as it showed that I am keen to succeed and would do anything necessary to help myself stand out in what is considered a competitive profession. I would like to thank ILSPA for making that possible.
What advice would you give someone looking for their first Legal Secretary position?
The advice I would give to someone looking to be a Legal Secretary is to just go for it. Every interview is experience and experience is knowledge. Don’t give up, look for anything that will make you stand out against thousands of others. Everyone has their own indispensible qualities.
Thank you so much to Hollie for chatting to us and answering our questions. If you are interested in studying to become a Legal Secretary, please take a look at our course page. Students receive one year’s free Membership as part of their enrolment, which includes the use of our guidance to secure employment and CV help service. To find out more about our Membership Benefits and how we can help you with your career, take a look at our Membership page.